Birds Of Minnesota: Curious Bird Facts For Kids That Are Amaze-wing!

The entire Minnesota bird population is documented by the US data of Minnesota and the Ornithology Union Records of Minnesota.

Minnesota has around 400 different varieties of birds, on top of which new birds are discovered almost every year. Out of the 400 plus species of documented birds, there are 40 plus species that are known to be vagrants.

The term 'vagrant' means 'accidental' and is a phenomenon where a bird usually appears or can be seen outside of its normal habitat range. People also use the word 'accidental' to explain the term 'vagrant' better.

Although most birds are known to migrate and come back to their original place again, a vagrant bird's situation is different. In a general scenario, an animal becomes a vagrant due to various environmental factors.

The same behavior is observed in birds that live in the Northern Hemisphere. Newly matured birds, which are generally inexperienced birds that have gained maturity, often travel further to find a breeding range.

They often always end up in areas that are very far north. Ornithologists have a term for such birds. These birds are called spring overshoots.

The same also happens with migratory birds which are young. During migration time in the fall, some birds take wrong routes, and instead of heading to their planned grounds to spend the winters they accidentally migrate to other plains.

There are around 30 plus such species in Minnesota that do this. Out of the 400 plus species that live in Minnesota, two species are known to be extinct.

Downy woodpeckers and hairy woodpeckers are some of the resident birds of the state. Downy woodpeckers are smaller than classic woodpeckers and have black bills.

Males have a red nape on their head. Although both species look very much alike, there are certain ways through which one distinguishes between a downy woodpecker and a hairy woodpecker. The hairy woodpecker is a little bigger in size.

A red-eyed vireo is also a resident bird of this state. They are one of the North American songbirds and they are very close to warblers.

They are however in large numbers in Minnesota and are not considered threatened. Song sparrows are also one of the beautiful Minnesota birds.

They are medium sizes and their bills are very short. They have rounded heads and they look very much like a house sparrow.

The only difference between them and a house sparrow is they are a little darker and slightly larger than the chipping sparrow which you can see flying around in Minnesota. Talking about small birds, white-breasted nuthatches (Sitta carolinensis) are tiny adorable birds. They have a unique color palette and a tiny beak with almost no neck.

It is easy to find them sitting on oak trees on a warm afternoon. The smallest bird of this state is the ruby-throated hummingbird.

If you enjoyed this article, why not also read about common loon facts and birds of Indiana.

What type of birds does northern Minnesota have in winter?

Winter birds all across Minnesota have a different behavioral approach to the season. Some birds gear themselves up for long flights as they will be migrating to warmer places.

For that reason, it's best to have a backyard feeder during the winter. It's common to spot birds in your backyard during winter, as during this season, they try to save almost as much as 50% of their body fat.

There are a lot of common winter birds that reside in central Minnesota, which may visit your backyard for sunflower seeds and suet. The black-capped chickadee is a type of winter bird in North America. Male and female birds of this species can be seen in flocks near your backyard bird feeders in the wintertime.

The black-capped chickadee is known for its unique black hat on its skull and its adorable white cheeks. They are chunky birds with buff bodies.

A northern cardinal is also another good example of a winter bird. They guard their territory in winters. The northern cardinal is a medium-sized bird and it has a very beautiful crest.

They are slightly smaller than the American robin. Females are dull red, whereas the male birds are brightly red.

They have black legs and black masks near their bills. An American goldfinch is another winter bird of Minnesota. The male is a multi-colored bird with a yellow tint across its face and brown feathers.

Females are mostly all brown. They have a light brown color from their breasts to their feet.

They are also some of the most common birds to visit your backyard during winters, looking for insects or seeds. They have black wings and long tails. These species are almost similar in size to American robins.

How many species of birds are in Minnesota?

Minnesota is home to around 400 bird species. The majority are migratory birds, three of those species are extinct, and 30 are vagrant species.

Birds in Minnesota have birds of all colors and behavioral practices. One famous North American bird is the red-winged blackbird.

They are famous all across North America and are known for their unique color palette. They are also known as broad shoulder blackbirds.

They have white and orange colors on their wings, while some of these birds also have some red feathers. These are famous for traveling in large flocks and are one of the most known migratory birds in America. The entire body is black and they often feed on insects and are known to bully smaller birds for food.

As their size is quite big, it is easy for them to hunt for insects. You can sometimes spot these birds in your backyard.

The red-bellied woodpecker is also one important species and they are the size as that of a downy woodpecker. Like all woodpeckers, they are absolutely adorable and are very colorful. They have a white underbody which has orange spots all over, their feet are black, and their head is entirely orange.

These are also some of the famous backyard birds in Minnesota. The white-breasted nuthatch is also a very common species. These birds are very small and almost have no necks.

The head of a white-breasted nuthatch is very small. They have a pale blue color and black eyes, and the entire body is white. The wings and the top of their heads is a shade of blue.

A song sparrow is a native North American bird. Their wings and tail are brown and they are often bullied by the red-winged blackbird.

Females and males are of the same size as common backyard birds. They have a beautiful crimson brown color all across their bodies with white hues and black eyes.

When we mention northern cardinals, we are especially talking about the summer birds. They have a bright red color and red beaks.

During the winters, they change their color and they appear more pale yellow. From the neck to the breast, they develop a yellow color, however, they still have their distinguished red bills and their wings also change to a pale shade of yellow and brown.

The American robin is one of the known ground forgers and they are seen very often using their bills to tug out earthworms from the ground. They are common backyard birds and have dark eyes and are known to hover around feeders.

It's best to have low-laying feeders to attract this bird. They have black eyes and are scientifically known as Turdus migratorius.

What types of birds are legal to own in Minnesota?

There are some animals or birds which are marked exotic, meaning bringing them to your house as a pet may not be the right thing to do. Some birds are also not legal to own in Minnesota.

Minnesota has around 400 plus bird species and some of those species are considered threatened. While shipping and selling of threatened species is a crime, it's also not legal to make a threatened species your pet.

Several bird species are protected under the state laws and have a very little population. Most of these are songbird or song sparrow species.

One of which is Melospiza melodia and these birds are illegal to own in most US states. Any species with a conservation status that is threatened or any species that are protected by state laws should not be adopted or kept as a pet.

There are many other species of birds that can be ideal pets. One example is the American goldfinch (Spinus tristis). Even the mourning dove is a very beautiful species. From a distance, they look like tiny pigeon babies but they are in reality a completely different species.

They are ground foragers and are very calm. Some common backyard birds which can often be seen hovering around your feeders are fit for making pets. House sparrows and blue jays are birds that are found almost in every backyard.

If you are not looking to have a pet but just wish for birds to visit your backyard feeders, it's best to buy bird feeders that are tailored to attract a specific kind of species. For ground forgers, such as mourning doves, feeders that lay a little low are best.

For hummingbirds, feeders which are high off the ground are best. It's also important to understand whether the bird is seed-eating or nectar-eating. Hummingbirds are nectar-eating birds and it's best to leave jellies for them.

What kind of birds in Minnesota nest in birdhouses?

Birds can bring life into a backyard. A lot of backyard owners construct birdhouses to attract birds to nest in them during the breeding season

It's important to select a good nesting location if you are looking to attract birds to nest in your birdhouse. Birds such as bluebirds and different kinds of house wrens nest in birdhouses all the time. Wood ducks and nuthatches also nest in birdhouses.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Birds of Minnesota: curious bird facts for kids that are amaze-wing!

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